BSB plan for August start
Series boss Stuart Higgs speaks to MCN about the plans and measures in place to get the season back on track
Light at the end of the tunnel as sport returns
‘We have planned for every scenario’
With lockdowns in place around the world, 2020 has been written off to date but there is light at the end of the tunnel. On Monday, the Government allowed the resumption of professional sport behind closed doors, while BSB is on the verge of releasing a provisional calendar that will see a truncated season at MSV-owned circuits with a likely three races per weekend. Motorsport Vision runs both a selection of tracks around the UK and BSB itself, making organising events simpler. As ever, BSB series director Stuart Higgs is employing maximum flexibility and large doses of common sense as he analyses the best possible calendar and format.
What is the latest on when British Superbikes can get going?
We are in regular contact with all the elements that make up the championship. From the outset we’ve been working hard to pre-empt all likely scenarios, with a focus on maintaining a meaningful and deliverable series. We’ve plotted a restart point in August. Other championships would appear to be doing the same. The British Touring Car Championship has published a calendar starting in August. We have been a little reluctant to put the dates out just yet because of some external factors.
With all of this, it’s really important that the information we put out is the right detail rather than being too tentative. No-one can afford in monetary or perception terms to put information out that makes them have to start doing things which could incur costs, only for it potentially to come to nothing.
When can we expect to see a provisional calendar?
We’re going to see some movement over the next couple of weeks. From a general perspective, the circuits are beginning to reopen for some activity. We are beginning to start coming back online but it’s got to be done slowly, making sure all of the various venue and operational details are in place.
When will see bikes on track?
August is the aim for competition, perhaps with a test towards the end of July. We have ruled out multiple backto-back rounds – that is way too complicated both from an economical and practical point of view. That is a key thing for the teams: to use the time we have to put together a logical, credible calendar. The really important thing is this: if we are able to have some form of spectator attendance, that is clearly the hope. We don’t want to put a programme together for this year that ends up being detrimental to the following year. Everyone is in a pretty vulnerable position. It would be a complete own goal to try to do too much.
Some are arguing that the victor of a shorter season would not be a worthy champion…
British championships have had so many different formats, ranging from a 12-race series to eight to six to three! Back when Roger Marshall won the championship it was a single weekend. I’m not saying for a minute that this is what we are going to do in 2020, but we have basically planned for every reasonable scenario that we think could be how the rest of the year pans out.
‘Everyone is in a pretty vulnerable position’